1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water heaters for use in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, and more particularly, to a fire suppressing water heater system configured to quickly extinguish a fire in the proximity of a water heater.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A significant percentage of the origin of home and business fires have been traced to faulty gas or electric water heaters. The use of such water heaters has become commonplace in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, including mobile homes and recreational vehicles, and is now the primary method of providing heated water throughout indoor plumbing fixtures such as, for example, sinks, bathtubs, showers, washing machines, and the like.
Water heaters typically include a large tank for storage and a thermostat to monitor the temperature of the stored water. Due to space considerations, the water heater is usually located in a basement, garage, attic, or other remote location in a home or business. Water heaters are known to pose a significant fire hazard due to a wide variety of factors such as, for example, faulty installation, inadequate electrical connections, poor ventilation, equipment age, and the presence of flammable vapors and materials. The remote location of most water heaters, such as in an attic or garage, for example, increases the likelihood that a fire will go undetected in its early stages. A fire that starts in the basement, for example, may destroy much of the structural foundation of a home before it is detected and extinguished. Placement of smoke detectors in the basement and attic of buildings has shortened the time that elapses before the start of a fire and its detection. Unfortunately, smoke detectors and other fire detecting devices have are useless, by themselves, in those instances where nobody is physically present to intervene and extinguish the fire. Standard fire extinguishers and other fire fighting equipment, likewise, is of no use without active human intervention.
Commercial buildings have utilized automatic fire sprinklers with some success. Such systems, however, are relatively cumbersome, expensive, and time-consuming to install. As such, few homes, mobile homes, or recreational vehicles are built equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. The costs of remodeling existing buildings to include such systems are necessarily exorbitant offer an impractical solution, at best, to reducing fire losses traced to water heaters. Although water heaters have evolved considerably over the years, existing water heaters have not been successful in detecting and extinguishing fires originating therein or in their immediate proximity.
Accordingly, there is an established need for a safe, practical, and inexpensive fire suppressing water heater system capable of quickly extinguishing a fire in the proximity of a water heater.
The present invention is directed to a safe, practical, and inexpensive fire suppressing water heater system that is capable of quickly extinguishing a fire in the proximity of a water heater. The fire suppressing water heater system includes a water heater, fire detection means, spray means, and water transport means. The water heater will preferably include a cold water intake and a hot water return. The spray means are designed to activate when a fire is present in the proximity of the water heater so as to quickly extinguish the fire and minimize property damage and personal injury losses. The presence of a fire may be detected by fire detecting means. Fire detecting means may further be configured to activate the spray means when evidence of a fire, such as heat or smoke, for example, is detected. In the event of a fire, water transport means direct a quantity of water from the cold water intake of the water heater to the spray means.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fire suppressing water heater system that can be adapted for use with a wide variety of water heaters.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a fire suppressing water heater system that is relatively inexpensive to install and maintain.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire suppressing water heater system that is configured to quickly and safely extinguish a fire detected in the proximity of a water heater.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a fire suppressing water heater system that is configured to automatically activate upon detecting the presence of a fire.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a fire suppressing water heater system is provided including a water heater, fire detection means, spray means, and water transport means. The water heater will preferably include a cold water intake and a hot water return. The spray means are designed to activate when a fire is present in the proximity of the water heater so as to quickly extinguish the fire. The presence of.a fire may be detected by fire detecting means. Fire detecting means may also be configured to activate the spray means when evidence of a fire, such as heat or smoke, for example, is detected. Furthermore, in the event of a fire, water transport means direct a quantity of water from the cold water intake of the water heater to the spray means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire suppressing water heater system that is capable of automatically extinguishing a fire in the proximity of a water heater without any human intervention.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.